Ex wife walks out with 2 million share of ex-husband’s lottery win

It is reported that CIRENCESTER lottery millionaire Nigel Page has agreed to give a share of his £56 euromillons lottery winnings to his ex-wife. Mr Page’s ex-wife, Wendy, 43, will reportedly receive £2m as part of an out of court settlement. She made a further claim following his win and originally sought a lump sum of £8m. The couple have a 13-year-old daughter together. They broke up 10 years ago.  It is understood that Mr Page, 44, married his current partner in February this year after winning a huge £56 million from the euro lottery.

Legal implications

Although the details relating to the out of court settlement are unknown, it is understood that the couple either had a split settlement or that Mr Page was paying ongoing maintenance to his wife, which would explain why his ex wife managed to claim part of his winnings.

The only way to avoid this is to have a clean break order, which would prevent either party to make a financial claim against the other in the future on income, capital, pension and on death.

In view of the government’s recent spending review, the problem may only get worse, as more and more couples may be unable to afford paying for legal costs and advice from a solicitor.  Under the new plans, legal aid would not be available for divorce and ancillary relief cases (financial matters linked with the divorce).  This may prompt couples to do a “DIY divorce” and not deal with the finances properly, which would leave them in a vulnerable position in the future and in our view should be avoided. Advice from an experienced Solicitor should be sought in relation to such financial matters.

For expert advice on such issues contact Severine Vincent or Kate Booth on 0800 121 4488 (email: sv@fieldoverell.com or kb@fieldoverell.com)